Entries in softball
(4)

If you're someone who loves wearing caps, (and who doesn't), you might have never considered anything but the standard sports team cap you can buy at the mall. What kind of sweet lid would you have if you could create your own? From scratch?

The folks at OC Sports let you do just that. But it gets better. This isn't a case where you maybe email them some colors and a style, maybe a logo. They have the coolest online mock-up generator you've ever seen. Animated, in 3-D, the tool lets you choose everything from the crown to the to the embroidery, the seam tape, piping, even down to the buttons and eyelets! Throw in contrast stitching if you want. If these are for a team you can have individual player numbers embroidered on the back. And there are dozens of different styles to choose from.

This online generator is addicting. You'll want to play with it for hours until you have your own artistic masterpiece. If it's a traditional MLB cap you want, they can do that for you too. But why go the safe route when you can be bold. After what you come up with heads will turn when they see what you've got on your head.

Here is one of the things that makes the folks at JUGS Sports so impressive. They all come from sports playing and coaching backgrounds. They're in tune with their customers. They know their market. So even though they had one of the most successful softball pitching machines in the game, used by thousands of teams and institutions, they didn't rest on their laurels. They surveyed coaches to find out how they could make it better. When the heard the overwhelming request for a machine that could throw changeups, they came out with the CHANGEUP Super Softball Pitching Machine.

It throws fastballs up to 70 mph and changeups at speeds as low as 44 mph. Now players can't simply figure out their timing and mechanically hit drive after drive because they know what's coming. This forces players in batting practice to think and react as they will in a real game.

It's portable and easy to set up and can be stored in the trunk of the car if you're a travel ball coach. It can also swivel 360 degrees and be used for all facets of the game, including ground ball and fly ball practice.

Those of us who have been around for a while all know that JUGS Sports owns the past of baseball and softball. But, just like the players their products are made for, because of their innovation and relentless pursuit of improvement, they're going to also be stars in the future.

If you read through our nine years of reviews you'll find two common themes that we embrace. First, we love training aids. Specifically, we love training aids that can be used solo. We love the idea of youth players in the garage, on the street, at the park or in the backyard working on their game on their own time with no coaches or parents present.

The second thing we love is when we find that magical mix of great quality but tremendous value. Usually this has been a case of an up-and-coming company that either doesn't know how good their product is or is willingly under-charging so as to try to gain market share. In either, since we're kind of tightwads here, top-of-the-line products at a bargain price make us very happy.

Well, we're very happy about this product and since you can see that it is not a training aid, you can guess which category it fits into. The new Upstart Sports Batting Gloves are a fantastic glove that players from Little League to the Pros will love, at a price that parents tired of overpaying for their kids baseball and softball gear will appreciate.

They sent us a few pairs to try out. One of my sons who plays in college got them in the mail the other day and described them as "sweet!" He was going to head down to the field the minute he put them on to go and take batting practice. I wonder if he drove with them on. And if you need more convincing, let me explain this kid: He asked for a photo of them first before he'd let me ship them because the way they look is very important to him. And if something doesn't feel just right, he won't wear it because his career is too important to him. So for him to give them a rousing endorsement means there's a better than 99% chance your player will (g)love them too. And the price? Just go to the site and prepare to be pleasantly surprised.

Upstart Sports plans to release more branded items soon. We can't wait to bring them to you. In the meantime, get their first offering before they wise up and realize they could sell them for twice the price.

The first thing we said when we saw this was, “What a great idea!” The Radar Cube from JUGS Sports is just one more example of how the smart, innovative people at JUGS know their industry as well as anyone.

JUGS, of course, already has expertise in the field of radar. Their hand-held radar guns are world-renowned. Just as pitching machines are routinely referred to generically as “Jugs machines” because of their early dominance in the industry, so too are radar trackers used by coaches and scouts often called, “Jugs guns.” That's what makes this product even more exciting.

I just returned home from a weekend watching one of my sons play in a high-level summer collegiate league. The stadium, the ambiance, it all had a real minor league feel. Right down to the scoreboard. Unlike the typical ones that show only runs, hits, errors and balls and strikes, this board also lit up the pitcher's velocity after every pitch. It is an expensive luxury because this team is a big, money-making operation that draws 2-3000 fans per night. There are no D2, D3, NAIA universities or junior colleges that can afford something so extravagant.

Now, for less than $250, they can add that elaborate touch to their field. I've been to hundreds of college games watching my sons, and fans are always asking, “How hard do you think he's throwing?” I can imagine tons of these smaller schools thinking the Radar Cube should be added to their park to enhance the fan experience.

Of course, it has other applications as well. It can be useful in the bullpen so coaches can get a read on how a pitcher is warming up. Beyond baseball, an obvious application is softball, but even sports like lacrosse can use it.

But again, I see this someday being a staple at every ball park above the high school level. Whenever we think of JUGS Sports we think of cutting-edge, fresh products that enrich the lives of athletes and coaches. Never satisfied, now they're even figuring out ways to help fans get in the game.